Maybe I should start thinking about the play,he thought. It might be safer.
The most important thing for him to remember was the secret purpose of the production, to watch Canute's reactions during the little surprises that Derec had cooked up for the robot.
For as Hamlet hoped to force Claudius to reveal his guilt while watching the play-within-the-play, Derec hoped Canute would at last be forced to confront its own true nature.
This was a nature Canute had steadfastly avoided confronting during rehearsals. When praised for its work in designing the theatre, Canute had admitted only that it was following orders, that it had given nothing of itself that was not logical. When it performed a scene particularly well during rehearsal, Canute had admitted only to following orders explicitly, to performing mechanically, as only a robot could.
But with luck, Canute had by now a case of robotic overconfidence. Derec's plans hinged on the hope that Canute believed it had already weathered the worse part of the investigation.
Of course, there was always the possibility that the surprises wouldn't work. What if they didn't? Then what would Derec have to do?
Derec realized he was wound up pretty tight. He relaxed with an effort. Then, when his thoughts began to turn automatically to the same matters, he tensed up again and had to relax with a second effort. Was this some form of stage fright? If it was, he supposed it could have been worse. He could be performing before humans.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, crossing his feet and putting his hands behind his head, so that whoever it was would think he was facing the coming performance with a mood of utter calm.
"Jumping galaxies! You look terrible!" said Ariel breathlessly as she closed the door behind her. "You must be nervous. It's good to know I'm not the only one."
Derec sat straight up and planted his feet on the floor. Just by being there, she had taken his breath away. She was in her costume-a blonde wig and a white gown that clung to her body as if it had been spun from a spider's web. Her makeup heightened the color of her cheeks and lips, and made her skin appear a healthier shade of pale. He hadn't realized that she could look so beautiful, with such an inner aliveness.
Of course, when he thought of all the circumstances that they had faced together-being thrown into a hospital together, running away from something, being stranded somewhere-it stood to reason that she had never before had the opportunity to accentuate her natural femininity. Her beauty in the costume was familiar, yet it was also something new, as if he'd glimpsed it in a long-forgotten dream.
But if she noticed his reaction (that is, if he revealed any of it), she gave no indication as she sat on the bed beside him. However, she glared at him because of his second reaction. It must have been none too flattering, for she looked like he had hit her over the head with a rubber chicken. "What's the matter with you?" she asked.
"What's that smell?" he replied.
"Oh, I had Mandelbrot synthesize some perfume for me. I thought it might help keep me in character."
"It's very pleasant. "
"That's not what your face said at first."
"That's because I wasn't sure what I was smelling.”
“Hmm. That's not much of a compliment. It's supposed to smell good whether or not you know what it is. "
"Please, I've forgotten my social training along with the rest of my memory."
"Your face said it smelled like fertilizer."
"I'm not even sure I know what fertilizer smells like."
She pursed her lips and looked away from him, but he couldn't help noticing that her hand was very close to his on the bed. Their fingers were almost touching. "Nervous?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Naw. For all I know, this could be my first encounter with perfume."
"I meant the play, silly."
"Oh. Well, maybe a little. Hey, for all I know, I could be an old hand at this."
"I see. Do you think amnesia could sometimes be a blessing in disguise?"
"Ariel, something's bothering you. Are you well?”
“Reasonably well. Doing this play has given me something relatively constructive to concentrate on, though I'm still not sure it was a good idea for me to play someone who goes mad. I'm beginning to realize how uncomfortably it mirrors my own predicament."
"Would you rather play Hamlet's mother?"
"No. Well, maybe. But why couldn't I play Hamlet himself? I can be heard all over the stage, and you said so yourself, just yesterday, that I can definitely emote. Like crazy, if you'll forgive my choice of words."
"The role has been undertaken occasionally by women, according to the theatre history texts. I'm sure the robots would be only too positronically fulfilled to support you in a production of Hamlet. Or of any other play."
"I meant why couldn't I play Hamlet in this production?”
"Aha. You had your chance, but you volunteered to play Ophelia first! You were guilty of your own biased thinking-before I had the chance to engage in my biased thinking, that is. "
"That's true," she replied, in tones a bit more serious than he thought his words warranted. "Besides, I think there're reasons why you picked Hamlet, beyond the ones that have to do with Canute. You could have picked any number of plays, you know, like Othello or Julius Salad. "
"That's Julius Caesar!"
"Right. Anyway, I think you already saw a lot of yourself in him-the mad romantic, the soul-searching adventurer, the vain, pompous, arrogant, stubborn…stubborn…"
"Egotist."
"Right. Egotist."
Derec smiled. It was exciting to have her sitting next to him. Except for rehearsing bits of business together, they hadn't been this close for some time, and he was surprised to discover how much he liked it. He was nervous and relaxed at the same time.
"Derec? Pay attention. I'm talking to you," she said gently. "Listen, I've been thinking about the differences between us and the people back then, or the way they were presented, anyway. I can't help but wonder if anyone today ever has the kind of love Ophelia has for Hamlet."
"Or Lady Macbeth has for Macbeth?"
"I'm serious. I know Ophelia is definitely a weak creature. 'Hi there, Dad. Use me as a pawn in your nefarious schemes. Please?' But for all that, she really does love with a consuming passion. I've never met anyone on Aurora who's felt that kind of love…that I know of, naturally. But I think I would be able to tell if there were any Ophelias out there."
"How about yourself?" he asked with an unexpected catch in his voice.
"Me? No, I've never felt that kind of passion." She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. He couldn't help but wonder what she was really thinking as she pulled away from him, put her foot on the bed, and rested her head on her knee. "I've had sex, of course, and crushes, but nothing like what aphelia must feel." She paused, buried her face in her gown, then lifted her head just enough so he could see her raise an eyebrow. With a decidedly interesting intent. "I might be persuaded to try, though."
Derec felt a lump the size of a sidewalk get stuck in his throat. "Ariel!"
"Derec-are you a virgin?"
"How am I supposed to know? I have amnesia!" Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows, as she moved closer to him.
"You know, there's another aspect to Ophelia," she said. "She represents something." Closer. "Something Hamlet needs but which he has to deny to have his revenge."